JP7342959B2 - Multi-core optical connector and optical fiber connection method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a multi-core optical connector technology for collectively connecting a plurality of optical fibers, and particularly to a technology for arranging a plurality of fibers in a horizontal line in one elongated hole.

Conventionally, multi-core optical connectors that connect multiple optical fibers at once have been connected using a member called a ferrule. The ferrule is provided with one or two rows of multiple round holes for one optical fiber, and the user accommodates the optical fiber in the hole and inserts it into the guide pin holes provided at both ends of the row of holes. Insert the guide pin. Thereby, the connectors are fitted together and the optical fibers can be connected. Here, the positions and sizes of the holes for the optical fibers are made with high precision, and the gaps between the holes are provided at equal intervals. This structure is known in Patent Document 1, for example.

On the other hand, optical fibers connected to a transmission device need to be arranged with narrow pitches in accordance with the miniaturization and space saving of devices as described in Non-Patent Document 3. For example, as for narrow pitch connectors, there are connectors in which the pitch of round holes is narrowed, and connectors in which fibers are aligned on V-grooves as in Patent Document 2.

In a multi-core optical connector with round holes as in Patent Document 1, when the pitch of the holes is narrowed, the ferrule member existing between the holes becomes thinner, which reduces the strength of the ferrule member and causes cracks in the ferrule. Damage may occur. For this reason, there is a problem that a multi-core optical connector provided with round holes cannot be made with a narrow pitch.

Furthermore, in Patent Document 2, since the position of the fiber changes depending on the shape of the V-groove, there is a possibility that the accuracy of the V-groove may have an adverse effect on the connection loss. For this reason, a connector molded by aligning fibers on a V-groove requires highly accurate processing in order to maintain appropriate connection loss, resulting in a problem of increased parts cost.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-111759 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-41044

IEC 61753-1 D. Marcuse, “Loss Analysis of Single-Mode Fiber Splices”, The Bell System Technical Journal, Vol. 56, No. 5, pp. 703-718, 1977. K. Kurata et al. , “Prospect of chip scale silicon photonics transceiver for high density multi-mode wiring system”, Optics Communications, Vol. 362, pp. 36-42, 2016. IEC 62496-4-214

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a multi-core optical connector that can be downsized and narrowed in pitch without performing high-precision processing such as V-grooves.

In order to achieve the above object, the present disclosure lays out a plurality of optical fibers in a row in a long hole so as to be in contact with the inner bottom surface of the long hole, and one side of the inside of the long hole. Close and secure.

The multi-core optical connector according to the present disclosure includes:
a holding member provided with an elongated hole having a flat bottom surface in which a plurality of optical fibers can be arranged in parallel;
a plurality of optical fibers housed in parallel and in a row on the bottom surface;
One surface is in contact with the plurality of optical fibers, the other surface is in contact with the upper surface of the elongated hole, and is fixed to the plurality of optical fibers and the holding member with the plurality of optical fibers pressed against the bottom surface. A plate-like body that is
an alignment structure that aligns the plurality of optical fibers;
Equipped with

The multi-core optical connector according to the present disclosure includes:
a holding member provided with a groove having a flat bottom surface in which a plurality of optical fibers can be arranged in parallel;
a plurality of optical fibers housed in parallel and in a row on the bottom surface;
a lid that is in contact with the plurality of optical fibers, is fixed to the plurality of optical fibers and the holding member in a state where the plurality of optical fibers are pressed against the bottom surface, and has a long hole formed in the groove;
an alignment structure that aligns the plurality of optical fibers;
Equipped with.

The optical fiber connection method according to the present disclosure uses the multi-core optical connector according to the present disclosure to connect a plurality of optical fibers provided in two multi-core optical connectors at once.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a multi-core optical connector that can be downsized and narrowed in pitch without performing high-precision processing such as V-grooves.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a connection end surface of the multi-core optical connector of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a connection end surface of a multi-core optical connector according to a second embodiment. An example of a method for vertically aligning an optical fiber using an elastic plate is shown. A method for vertically aligning an optical fiber using an elastic lid is shown. A method for aligning the lateral axis of an optical fiber by aligning the ends is shown. A second example of a method for aligning the axis of an optical fiber in the lateral direction by aligning the ends will be shown. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a multi-core optical connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a connection end surface of a multi-core optical connector. An enlarged view of the bottom of the elongated hole 12 is shown. An example of the relationship between the number of fibers and the gap such that the connection loss is 1 dB or less is shown. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a connection end surface of a multi-core optical connector. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure which provides a long hole by using a groove|channel and a cover. A positioning method using guide pins and guide pin holes is shown. An example of the structure of the connection surface of the ferrule in the sixth embodiment is shown. An alignment method using guide pins and V-grooves is shown. An example of the structure of the connection surface of the ferrule in the seventh embodiment is shown. A positioning method using a sleeve provided with a hole having an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the connector is shown. A top view of the connector after connecting the optical fiber 91 is shown.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown below. These implementation examples are merely illustrative, and the present disclosure can be implemented with various changes and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Note that components with the same reference numerals in this specification and the drawings indicate the same components.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a connection end surface of a multi-core optical connector according to this embodiment. The multi-core optical connector of this embodiment includes a ferrule 11 that functions as a holding member in which a rectangular long hole 12 is formed.

The elongated hole 12 is a through hole that penetrates in the direction in which the optical fiber 91 extends. The bottom surface of the elongated hole 12 is flat, and a plurality of (four in the figure) optical fibers 91 are arranged horizontally in parallel on the bottom surface 12B inside the elongated hole 12. Further, since the plate 13 is located above the elongated hole 12, the position of the optical fiber 91 within the elongated hole 12 is limited in the vertical direction.

Here, the elongated hole 12 inside the ferrule 11 does not need to be rectangular as long as it has a shape that allows a desired number of optical fibers 91 to be arranged. For example, FIG. 1 shows an example in which the inner wall surface 12L and the inner wall surface 12R are flat surfaces perpendicular to the bottom surface 12B. However, the angle between the bottom surface 12B and the inner wall surface 12L and the angle between the bottom surface 12B and the inner wall surface 12R may be the same or different, and either one is less than 90 degrees or more than 90 degrees. There may be. Here, the inner wall surface 12L and the inner wall surface 12R are side surfaces adjacent to the bottom surface 12B in the elongated hole, and are surfaces disposed at positions facing each other. Further, the inner wall surface 12L and the inner wall surface 12R may not be flat surfaces but may be curved surfaces.

Although the method for manufacturing the ferrule 11 is arbitrary, for example, extrusion molding or injection molding can be used. When these manufacturing methods are used, shrinkage or distortion may occur in the resin or other member constituting the ferrule 11, and the inner wall surface of the elongated hole 12 may become curved or uneven. The inner wall surface including the bottom surface 12B of the elongated hole 12 may be curved or uneven during manufacturing.

Further, the end face of the ferrule 11 may have positioning structures 21 near both ends, which are the left and right outer sides of the elongated hole 12. The alignment structure 21 is, for example, a guide pin hole, a V-groove, or a guide pin.

Insert a plurality of optical fibers 91 (four in the figure) into the elongated hole 12, and insert the plate 13 into the upper part of the optical fiber 91, that is, into the gap between the upper part of the elongated hole 12 and the optical fiber 91, while applying adhesive or the like. Then, the optical fiber 91 is fixed to the ferrule 11 of the elongated hole 12 while the optical fiber 91 and the plate 13 are pressed against the bottom surface 12B of the elongated hole 12. As a result, the multi-core optical connector of this embodiment can reduce the vertical gap between the elongated holes 12 and fix the plurality of optical fibers 91 while limiting the longitudinal direction of the plurality of optical fibers 91. becomes.

In this embodiment, the optical fibers 91 can be fixed in a state where the plurality of optical fibers 91 are restricted in the longitudinal direction without performing high-precision machining such as a V-groove. Therefore, the present embodiment can provide a multi-core optical connector that can be downsized and narrowed in pitch without performing high-precision processing such as V-grooves.

In addition, although this embodiment shows an example in which the plate 13 is one member, the plate 13 may be composed of a plurality of members. For example, the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 12 may be composed of a plurality of members, and the transverse direction of the elongated hole 12 may be composed of a plurality of members. Further, the plate 13 may be disposed in a part of the plurality of optical fibers 91 in the extending direction, as long as the plurality of optical fibers 91 can be aligned in the longitudinal direction at the end face connected to another multi-core optical connector. good.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a connection end surface of the multi-core optical connector of this embodiment. In the multi-core optical connector of this embodiment, instead of the elongated hole 12, a groove 14 is formed in the ferrule 11 that functions as a holding member. The bottom surface 14B of the groove 14 is flat. The elongated hole 12 is configured by using the groove 14 and the lid 15. After forming the elongated hole 12, the bottom surface 14B functions as the bottom surface 12B of the elongated hole 12, the side surface 14L of the groove 14 functions as the inner wall surface 12L, and the side surface 14R of the groove 14 functions as the inner wall surface 12R.

Insert a plurality of optical fibers 91 (four in the figure) into the groove 14, put adhesive, etc. from above, and insert the lid 15 into the groove 14. While pressing the lid 15 from above the optical fiber 91, glue the optical fibers 91. The optical fiber 91 is fixed to the bottom surface 14B of the groove 14 using an adhesive. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the vertical gap between the long holes 12 and fix the lid 15 and the plurality of optical fibers 91 while restricting the plurality of optical fibers 91 in the vertical direction. .

The upper surface 15U of the lid 15 may be arranged on the same surface as the upper surface 11U of the ferrule 11, but they may be different. For example, the top surface 15U of the lid 15 may be lower than the top surface 11U of the ferrule 11. Thereby, the elongated hole 12 can be used as an adhesive pool for excess adhesive.

In this embodiment, the optical fibers 91 can be fixed in a state where the plurality of optical fibers 91 are restricted in the longitudinal direction without performing high-precision machining such as a V-groove. Therefore, the present embodiment can provide a multi-core optical connector that can be downsized and narrowed in pitch without performing high-precision processing such as V-grooves.

(Third embodiment)
The multi-core optical connector of this embodiment uses an elastic body for the plate 13 of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 shows an example of a method for vertically aligning the optical fiber 91 using the elastic plate 13. An elastic plate 13 having a vertical width larger than the difference between the vertical width H ₁₂ of the elongated hole 12 and the outer diameter φ ₉₁ of the optical fiber 91 is inserted into the elongated hole 12, and the plate 13 is in contact with all the optical fibers 91. Then, the optical fiber 91 is fixed to the bottom surface 12B of the elongated hole 12 using adhesive. Thereby, the optical fiber 91 is pressed against the bottom surface 12B of the elongated hole 12, and the axis of the optical fiber 91 in the vertical direction can be aligned.

Note that although the present embodiment shows an example in which the entire plate 13 is made of an elastic body, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the surface of the plate 13 in contact with the plurality of optical fibers 91 may be made of an elastic member. In this case, by employing a rigid member on the upper surface of the plate 13, the strength of the plate 13 can be maintained and insertion into and removal from the elongated hole 12 becomes easier, which facilitates manufacturing.

(Fourth embodiment)
The multi-core optical connector of this embodiment uses an elastic body for the lid 15 of the second embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a method for vertically aligning the optical fiber 91 using the elastic lid 15. As shown in FIG. All the optical fibers 91 are pressed down using a lid 15 made of an elastic material that deforms into a shape in contact with the optical fibers 91, and then fixed with an adhesive. Thereby, the optical fiber 91 is pressed against the bottom surface 12B of the elongated hole 12, and the axis of the optical fiber 91 in the vertical direction can be aligned.

In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the entire lid 15 is made of an elastic body, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the surface of the lid 15 in contact with the plurality of optical fibers 91 may be made of an elastic member. In this case, by employing a rigid member on the upper surface of the lid 15, the strength of the ferrule 11 can be maintained and insertion into and removal from the groove 14 becomes easier, which facilitates manufacturing.

(Fifth embodiment)
The multi-core optical connector of this embodiment includes an elastic body at the end of the elongated hole of the second embodiment. FIG. 5 shows a method for aligning the axis of the optical fiber 91 in the lateral direction by aligning the ends. In the optical fibers 91 housed in the elongated holes 12, by inserting the elastic body 16 into the end 12R of the elongated holes 12, all the optical fibers 91 come into contact with each other, and the optical fibers 91 at the other end of the elongated holes 12 become long. The optical fiber 91 is fixed in contact with the inner wall 12L of the hole by putting an adhesive therein and pressing it down with the lid 15 from above.

Do the same for the opposing ferrules, so that all the optical fibers 91 are in contact with each other, and when they are placed facing each other, the optical fibers 91 are brought close to the inner wall in the direction in which the axes of the optical fibers 91 match, and then the adhesive is poured in and the lid is pressed down to connect the optical fibers. Fix 91. This allows alignment of the optical fibers 91 in the lateral direction.

Note that in this embodiment as well, the lid 15 may be made of an elastic body. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, instead of the groove 14 and the lid 15, the elongated hole 12 and plate 13 of the first embodiment may be used. In this case as well, the plate 13 may be an elastic body.

(Sixth embodiment)
FIG. 7 shows a schematic configuration of the multi-core optical connector of this embodiment. In this embodiment, in order to connect a plurality of optical fibers 91 to a planar waveguide 92 in which a multi-channel core is arranged, the fiber pitch of the optical fibers 91 is narrowed and arranged with appropriate strength and connection loss of the connector. A multi-core optical connector 93 is provided.

As a multi-core optical connector 93 with higher density and an axis alignment mechanism, the pitch of the optical fibers 91 is narrowed to the pitch of the planar waveguide 92 by forming a single elongated hole 12 with a flat bottom, and the optical fibers 91 By keeping the position within a predetermined range, an appropriate connection loss with the waveguide of the planar waveguide 92 is realized.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a connection end surface of the multi-core optical connector of this embodiment. In the multi-core optical connector of this embodiment, the groove 14 has a multi-stage configuration, and the optical fiber 91 is arranged at the lowest part of the groove 14. The lid 15 has a multi-stage configuration that matches the multi-stage configuration of the groove 14. A slot 12 is formed using a groove 14 and a lid 15. The figure shows a connection origin O, which is the midpoint of a line connecting the centers of the guide pins 23, and a connector origin O', which is the midpoint of a line connecting the centers of two guide pin holes, which are the alignment structures 21.

と表される。FIG. 9 shows an enlarged view of the bottom of the elongated hole 12. In this embodiment, a gap Δ between each optical fiber 91 for connection to the planar waveguide 92, a gap Δ between the optical fiber 91 and the bottom surface 12B of the elongated hole 12, and a gap Δ between the optical fiber 91 and the left inner wall surface 12L are defined. The preferred conditions for the gap Δ are shown below. The position vector dA _{,i of the core of the i-th optical fiber 91 of connector A as seen from the connection origin O} is

It is expressed as

となる。Here, p _A is the position vector of the connector origin O' seen from the connection origin O, f _A,i is the position vector of the core of the i-th optical fiber 91 seen from the connector origin O',

becomes.

However, x _hl and y _hl are the x and y coordinates of the center of the left guide pin hole in the connection coordinate system, and x _hr and y _hr are the x and y coordinates of the center of the right guide pin hole in the connection coordinate system. It is a coordinate. r ₀ =x _w , y ₀ =y ₁ . Here, x _w is the position of the inner wall surface 12L, y _w is the position of the bottom surface 12B, Δw is the unevenness width of the inner wall surface 12L, r _i is the radius of the optical fiber 91, and Δx _i is the distance between the optical fiber 91 and the optical fiber in the X direction. 91 or the inner wall surfaces 12L, 12R, and Δy _i represents the gap between the optical fiber 91 and the bottom surface 12B in the Y direction. In FIG. 9, Δx _i and Δy _i are expressed as Δ.

と表せる。ここでσ_ｘ、σ_ｙは平面導波路９２の製造誤差である。On the other hand, for example, in Non-Patent Document 4, regarding the position of the core of a planar waveguide connected to a multi-core optical connector, the position of the core of the planar waveguide 92 in the x-axis direction with respect to the connector origin O' is -0.4375, - 0.3125, -0.1875, -0.0625, 0.0625, 0.1875, 0.3125, 0.4375, and the y-axis direction of the core of the planar waveguide 92 with respect to the connector origin O' It is specified that the positions of are all zero, and in this case, the position vector f _B,i of the i-th core of the planar waveguide 92 is

It can be expressed as Here, σ _x and σ _y are manufacturing errors of the planar waveguide 92.

で表される。光ファイバｉの接続損失Ｌ_ｉはファイバコアの相対位置ずれｄ_ｉによって決まり、

と表される（例えば、非特許文献２第７１４頁（２８）式を参照。）。The relative positional deviation d _i of the core when the optical fiber 91 and the planar waveguide 92 are connected is

It is expressed as The splice loss L _i of the optical fiber i is determined by the relative positional deviation d _i of the fiber core,

(For example, see formula (28) on page 714 of Non-Patent Document 2.)

Furthermore, for example, Non-Patent Document 1 specifies that the optical connector has a connection loss of 1 dB or less, and it is desirable that the connection loss for connection with a planar waveguide be 1 dB or less. Therefore, as a result of numerical analysis such as the Monte Carlo method using equation (6), it was found that if each gap Δ for the number of cores N is less than g(N) in the following equation, the connection loss with the planar waveguide 92 is less than 1 dB. It turns out that

For example, as shown in FIG. 10, each gap Δ including Δx _i and Δy _i is set to 0.41 μm for 8 cores and 0.29 μm for 12 cores. By creating a structure that satisfies this relationship, it becomes possible to connect to the planar waveguide 92 with a connection loss of 1 dB or less. The relationship in equation (7) is applicable to any number of fibers N from 2 to 32 cores.

As explained above, by arranging the optical fiber 91 at a predetermined position, the connection loss between the planar waveguide 92 and the optical fiber 91 can be suppressed to within 1 dB, and it can be put to practical use as a multi-core optical connector.

(Example)
Hereinafter, a multi-core optical connector according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the connection end face of the multi-core optical connector of this embodiment. Inside the ferrule 11 in which a rectangular long hole 12 is formed, a plurality of optical fibers 91 (eight in the figure) are brought together with respect to either the left or right wall (the left inner wall surface 12L in the figure) and the bottom surface 12B, At this time, the center position of each optical fiber 91 is arranged equally on the left and right sides at the same height with respect to the center position O' of the connector. Note that the elongated hole 12 inside the ferrule 11 does not have to be rectangular as long as it has a shape that allows the optical fiber 91 to be placed at a desired position. Further, the end face of the ferrule 11 has alignment structures on the left and right outer sides of the elongated hole 12. Insert a plurality of optical fibers 91 (eight in the figure) into the elongated hole 12, place them close to the inner wall of the elongated hole 12 (inner wall surface 12L on the left in the figure), and insert adhesive to align the optical fibers 91 to the desired position. Fixed in position. Here, in order to reduce the gap to a desired value or less, for example, in the case of a vertical gap, there is a method of pressing the optical fiber 91 with the plate 13 to make the width of the elongated hole 12 less than the fiber diameter and a desired value. There is a method of narrowing the hole width by inserting a plate or an elastic body into the hole 12. Further, as a method for reducing the horizontal gap to a desired value or less, for example, a method of inserting a plate or an elastic body into one wall of the elongated hole 12 and bringing the optical fiber 91 closer to the other wall, or a method of bringing the optical fiber 91 There is a method in which the tip of the connector is made to protrude from the elongated hole 12, the optical fiber 91 is brought together by applying lateral pressure to the tip, and the optical fiber 91 is cut on the end face of the connector after being adhesively fixed.

FIG. 12 shows a structure in which an elongated hole 12 is provided by using a groove 14 and a lid 15. Insert a plurality of optical fibers 91 (eight in the figure) into the groove 14, insert the lid 15 into the groove 14 while putting adhesive, etc. from above, and press the lid 15 from above to fix the adhesive, thereby forming the elongated hole 12. It becomes possible to fix the lid 15 and the optical fiber 91 while restricting the vertical direction of the optical fiber 91 by reducing the vertical gap. Here, in order to make the gap below a desired value, for example, in the case of a vertical gap, there is a method of pressing the optical fiber 91 with the cover 15 to make the width of the groove 14 or the cover 15 smaller than the fiber diameter and the desired value. Alternatively, there is a method of attaching a plate or an elastic body to the lid 15 and bringing it into contact with the optical fiber 91 to press the optical fiber 91 against the groove 14. Further, as a method for reducing the horizontal gap to a desired value or less, for example, a method of inserting a plate or an elastic body into one wall of the elongated hole 12 and bringing the optical fiber 91 closer to the other wall, or a method of bringing the optical fiber 91 There is a method in which the tip of the connector is made to protrude from the elongated hole 12, the optical fiber 91 is brought together by applying lateral pressure to the tip, and the optical fiber is cut on the end face of the connector after being adhesively fixed.

(Seventh embodiment)
FIG. 12 shows an alignment method using guide pins 23 and guide pin holes 22 in alignment structure 21. Ferrules 11A and 11B with guide pin holes 22 provided at both ends of the elongated holes are placed facing each other, and a guide pin 23 is used to align the ferrules 11A and 11B. Fix with a connecting clip 30. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, the optical fiber 91A fixed in the long hole of the ferrule 11A and the optical fiber 91B fixed in the long hole of the ferrule 11B are connected.

The connection clip 30 can adopt any structure capable of fixing the ferrules 11A and 11B. For example, it is possible to use a substrate 31 provided with springs 32A and 32B that press the ferrules 11A and 11B from both ends.

(Eighth embodiment)
FIG. 14 shows an alignment method using guide pins and V grooves as the alignment structure 21. In this embodiment, a ferrule 11B provided with a guide pin 23 and a ferrule 11A provided with a V groove 24 are used. With the guide pin 23 placed on the V-groove 24, a block 25 is placed on the guide pin 23, and the block 25 is held down with a holding clip 35 from above.

The block 25 has the same shape as the notch formed in the ferrule 11A to provide the V-groove 24. The holding clip 35 presses the block 25 along the notch of the ferrule 11A, and fixes the guide pin 23 in the V-groove 24. Thereby, in this embodiment, the optical fibers 91 can be connected while aligning the optical fibers 91.

FIG. 15 shows an example of the structure of the connection surface of the ferrule. The holding clip 35 may have any structure capable of pressing the guide pin 23 into the V-groove 24. For example, a substrate 31 may be provided with an L-shaped claw 37 that presses the top of the block 25. The interval W37 between the claws 37 is equal to the width W11A of the ferrule 11A. Further, the tip 38 of the claw 37 may reach the V-groove 24 and have a length enough to cover the block 25. Note that this embodiment may further include a connection clip 30.

(Ninth embodiment)
FIG. 16 shows a positioning method using a sleeve 40 provided with a through hole 41 having an inner shape substantially the same as the outer shape of the ferrules 11A and 11B. FIG. 17 shows a top view of the connector after connecting the optical fiber 91. In this embodiment, the ferrules 11A and 11B are inserted from both ends of the sleeve 40, and are fixed within the sleeve 40 by using the connection clip 30 or the like so that they do not come out. Thereby, in this embodiment, the optical fibers 91 can be connected while aligning the optical fibers 91.

In addition, also in this embodiment, the ferrules 11A and 11B may be provided with an alignment structure. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of fiber position alignment.

Here, although the number of optical fibers 91 shown in the above-mentioned embodiments was described as four or eight, the number of optical fibers 91 is not particularly specified. The adhesive for fixing the lid 15 shown in FIGS. 2 and subsequent figures is not particularly specified as long as it can maintain pressure. In addition to adhesives, it is also possible to use a method of maintaining pressure using a pressure clip or the like. Regarding the connection clip 30 shown in FIGS. 12 to 17, there is no particular specification, such as a method of connecting by applying a spring force from the rear using a housing member, for example.

(Effects caused by this disclosure)
- When narrowing the pitch of optical fibers, since the ferrule member is not present between the optical fibers, the problem of damage due to thinning of the member is solved, and the pitch of the optical fibers can be narrowed to the fiber diameter.
・It enables miniaturization and narrower pitch, making it possible to connect with smaller modules.
・The restoring force of the elastic body allows the optical fiber to be positioned close to the bottom of the elongated hole or the inner wall on either the left or right side, allowing the axis of the optical fiber to be aligned and reducing connection loss.
- Since it is an elastic body, there is no need for a precise shape, making it cheaper than high-precision machining of V-grooves.

The present disclosure can be applied to the information and communication industry.

11: Ferrule 12: Elongated hole 13: Plate 14, 141: Groove 15: Lid 16: Elastic body 21: Alignment structure 22: Guide pin hole 23: Guide pin 24: V groove 25: Block 30: Connection clip 31: Board 32A, 32B: Spring 37: Claw 35: Holder clip 40: Sleeve 41: Through hole 91: Optical fiber 92: Planar waveguide 93: Multi-core optical connector

Claims (7)

a holding member provided with an elongated hole having a flat bottom surface in which a plurality of optical fibers can be arranged in parallel;
a plurality of optical fibers housed in parallel and in a row on the bottom surface;
an alignment structure that aligns the plurality of optical fibers;
Equipped with
The holding member accommodates only the plurality of optical fibers in the elongated hole,
Only one of the optical fibers at both ends of the plurality of optical fibers contacts the side surface of the elongated hole,
The other of the optical fibers at both ends of the plurality of optical fibers contacts an elastic body disposed in a gap between the long hole and a second side surface opposite to the side surface,
All of the plurality of optical fibers are in contact with each other,
Multi-core optical connector. A distance between the side surface and the center position of the multi-core optical connector defined by the alignment structure in a direction horizontal to the bottom surface of the elongated hole is less than or equal to a predetermined value;
The multi-core optical connector according to claim 1. A gap between the plurality of optical fibers, a gap between the optical fiber and the bottom surface, and a gap between the optical fiber disposed at an end of the plurality of optical fibers and the side surface are within a predetermined range,
The multi-core optical connector according to claim 1 or 2. The number of fibers of the plurality of optical fibers is N, which is 2 or more and 32 or less,
The predetermined range is 0 μm or more (1.73-0.72√N+0.095N-0.00058N ² ) μm or less,
The multi-core optical connector according to claim 3. The long hole is
a groove provided in the holding member;
a lid that is fixed to the plurality of optical fibers and the holding member with the plurality of optical fibers pressed against the bottom surface, and has a long hole formed in the groove;
configured using
The lid has a surface in contact with the plurality of optical fibers made of an elastic member,
The elastic member is deformed to be in contact with all the optical fibers accommodated in the elongated hole.
A multi-core optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The alignment structure is
a guide pin hole provided near the longitudinal end of the elongated hole;
a sleeve provided with a V-groove provided near the longitudinal end of the elongated hole, or a through hole with an inner shape approximately the same as the outer shape of the holding member that holds the plurality of optical fibers;
comprising at least one of the following;
A multi-core optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . Using the multi-core optical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
Connect multiple optical fibers in two multi-core optical connectors at once, or
Connecting multiple optical fibers provided in one multi-core optical connector to multiple optical cores provided in one planar waveguide,
Optical fiber connection method.

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